What on Earth Are You Doing?!

"Arghhhhh! What do you think you're doing?!"

Ah. At least they give me a chance to explain, Tae-hyun thought, thoroughly impressed. The Idergo Order was truly a warm, affectionate organization. To think they would offer a chance to explain even after he had blasted one of their ships to smithereens! If it had been the Archisus Church, Tae-hyun would have had the offender buried in some dark corner of the Valley. A warship was incredibly expensive—who in their right mind would just brush off "friendly fire" on one?

"No matter how I look at it, those are definitely Idergo Order NPCs!" Persemes shouted.

Tae-hyun shook his head, his expression grave and solemn. "No! Those are Archisus Church bastards in disguise!"

"...I see! Understood! Attack! Attack that ship! Signal the other vessels! Tell them the Archisus Church has disguised themselves and hijacked our ships!"

"Understood, Successor!"

Persemes's words carried immense weight within the order. While Tae-hyun and his companions were mere low-ranking cultists of unknown origin, Persemes was the actual successor to the Bishop. When someone of his stature declared that the Archisus Church had disguised themselves and hijacked their ships, the Plague Fleet instantly fell into chaos.

To make matters worse, the members of the Black Rock Sect were running around the deck, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠risking their lives as they screamed at the top of their lungs.

"We are the most evil organization in the world, the Archisus Church! Uh... hand over your blood!"

"If you don't hand over your blood, we'll strip you of all your gear and treasures!"

"Listen to them! They're definitely those Archisus bastards! Get them!"

Even for a master of manipulation like Tae-hyun, this was an impossible feat without Persemes's assistance and a massive stroke of luck. Thanks to this, a flood of rewards poured in—including a divine skill, the Authority of Archisus!

"!!"

Tae-hyun was stunned. No matter how high the difficulty of this achievement was, he hadn't expected the system to just hand over an Authority of Archisus skill!

"..."

Well... it wasn't bad, but...

It's a decent skill for sowing chaos when sneaking in somewhere or trying to escape.

If it had been a Speech or Tactics skill, Tae-hyun would have happily accepted it. But since it came as an Authority skill, he felt a bit... conflicted.

Is this really the kind of skill that should carry the name of Archisus...?

Boom! Boom! Crash!

Tae-hyun snapped back to reality. Chaos was spreading, but he couldn't afford to let his guard down yet. They were walking on a razor's edge! A single mistake would spell instant doom.

"Fire! Fire!"

"Return fire!"

"Aha! Look at them attacking us! They're definitely the Archisus Church!"

"That guy over there is Archisus!"

"No, this one is definitely Archisus!"

Boom! Crash! Bang!

The massive Plague warships fiercely bombarded one another, each claiming the other was Archisus. To make matters worse, the Ghost Fleet joined the fray, weaving through the chaos.

"Aim for the captain! Take down the captain of those plague-ridden bastards!"

"We'll make sure you taste the depths of the ocean! Hehehe!"

Although the Ghost Fleet was significantly weaker than the Plague Fleet, their relentless ability to constantly resurrect during their summoned duration harassed the plague ships to no end. The Plague Fleet was forced into an incredibly disadvantageous position, fighting both themselves and the undead.

Yet, despite the chaos, the Plague Fleet held its ground, refusing to crumble. This was entirely due to the brilliant command of the Plague Fleet's captain, Polomyus.

"All ships, rally around my flagship! Anyone who hesitates to gather is an Archisus traitor! You have permission to fire upon them without mercy!"

"Prioritize the Ghost Fleet! Anyone who doesn't attack the ghosts is an Archisus spy! Bury them at the bottom of the sea!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Plague God's Descent! Plague Tide! Deep Sea Plague!"

Holy crap!

Watching from a distance, Tae-hyun shuddered. Polomyus was far stronger than he had anticipated. Seeing that frail, sickly old man—who looked like he might blow away in a stiff breeze—commanding and churning the ocean as if it were in the palm of his hand gave him goosebumps.

I'm glad I didn't pick a fight with him directly.

"Pant, pant... Kim Tae-hyun! We're back!"

"We did it!"

The guild members climbed back onto the deck, dripping wet. They had somehow managed to survive and return.

At first, shouting "We are the Archisus Church!" had been manageable. The enemies hadn't fully grasped the situation, so the guild members could easily slip away.

But as the battle grew fiercer, the moment they even uttered the syllable "Archi—", a barrage of attacks would instantly fly their way. And these weren't just ordinary attacks; they were devastating strikes capable of obliterating entire ships.

"Aim the cannons and fire!"

"Hey, you crazy bastards! This is your own ship! Are you trying to kill us all?!"

"If we can drag those Archisus scum down to hell with us, we will gladly sacrifice ourselves!"

"..."

"...That was terrifying."

"Seriously, how much aggro did you draw to make them react like that?!"

"Well, evil cultists do tend to hold irrational grudges."

Tae-hyun was utterly shameless. I didn't even do anything, but the Idergo Order seems to have some weird grudge against me!

"Anyway, our chance is here. Look!"

Despite Polomyus's best efforts to restore order, the situation remained highly chaotic. The gaps between the ships widened, and stray artillery shells constantly blasted the water, sending dozens of massive waterspouts into the air. Finally, their window of escape had arrived.

"Are we setting sail?"

"No. Wait a moment."

Tae-hyun held the ship back.

"Why?! If we don't leave right now, we might miss our chance! Look at that crazy old man!"

"What if they realize we were the ones behind this?!"

The Black Rock Sect guild members urged Tae-hyun, practically vibrating with anxiety. They were so tense they could barely breathe, and Tae-hyun's refusal to budge only made it worse. Why was he doing this?

We need to leave right now, and even then, we might not make it...!

Yet, Tae-hyun remained perfectly calm. While the other rankers were swept away by anxiety, Tae-hyun was not. He possessed a mind of absolute steel.

Polomyus seems to be looking in this direction. He's probably just keeping an eye on Persemes rather than suspecting us, but still...

Even in the midst of chaos, making a sudden, desperate dash right now would only arouse suspicion. Tae-hyun waited patiently. A perfect opportunity would surely present itself!

"RESCUE!!! KIM TAE-HYUN!!!"

"Kim Tae-hyun!! We're here! If you can hear us, give us a signal!! Wave your hand!"

They're here!

The players' rescue fleet had finally arrived.

"...Step on it! Floor it! If we get caught, we're dead!"

"Yes, sir!!"

The ship squeezed out every last drop of power to accelerate. A grand escape, capitalizing on the moment Polomyus and the rest of the Plague Fleet were distracted! If they missed this chance, they were finished!

"Huh? Wait, what?"

Persemes was bewildered. Why was the ship suddenly accelerating? Surely they weren't planning to charge straight ahead and take down the entire fleet?

"Shouldn't we fight alongside them?"

"Don't be foolish! Lord Idergo loves a brave warrior."

"I-I see!"

Though utterly confused, Persemes decided to trust Tae-hyun for now. Still, weren't there just way too many enemies?

"...Wait, aren't they fighting among themselves?"

"Is this a trap?"

"No, look! Even ghost ships have appeared!"

The players, who had arrived fully prepared for a brutal clash with the Plague Fleet, were baffled by the unexpected scene. But the realization quickly dawned on them. Ah...!

"It's Kim Tae-hyun! Kim Tae-hyun definitely did this!"

"Charge in now! We have to go in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right now!"

"Floor it! We have to rescue Kim Tae-hyun first!"

What an absolute windfall! They had braced themselves to be utterly pulverized by the Plague Fleet, so the realization that they could pull this off easily sent the players into a frenzy.

Wait. If that's the case...

If the Plague Fleet is completely distracted, we shouldn't be fighting them. We need to block our competitors!

Several guilds quickly caught on. In this situation, the primary enemy wasn't the Plague Fleet—it was the other players!

"Get out of the way!"

*Thud!*

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing, you bastard?!"

"I told you to get out of the way!"

"You rammed us on purpose, didn't you?!"

"Kim Tae-hyun!! Where are you, Kim Tae-hyun?!"

The players who had rushed to the scene began to cry out desperately.

"Kim Tae-hyun! We're from the Power Warrior guild! Since we've had the most friendly competition with you, you must know our strength! We'll safely escort you back to the continent! Come on out!"

"Mr. Kim Tae-hyun! It's us! If you're a true Korean, please come with our guild!"

"Tae-hyun! We're from the Fighters Guild! If you come with us, we'll give you a massive reward!!"

What is this, a party recruitment chat?

Tae-hyun was utterly speechless. The members of the Black Rock Sect also stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. Had this massive horde of people really sailed all this way just to "rescue" him?

They're literally filling the entire horizon...

"Hey. I think we're in deep trouble."

"Why?"

"The vibe here suggests we might get PK'ed just for being seen with Kim Tae-hyun."

"...!!"

A cold shiver ran down the spines of the Black Rock Sect members. That was a very real, very terrifying possibility!

"K-Kim Tae-hyun. Who are you going to go with?"

"Which way are we heading?"

Instead of answering, Tae-hyun pushed the ship's speed even higher. As a peculiar steel warship suddenly burst out from the Plague Fleet and bolted forward, some of the players began ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to catch on.

"Look over there, it's the treasure sh—no, it's Kim Tae-hyun!"

"Kim Tae-hyun!!! We came to rescue you!! Stop! Get on our ship!!"

Splash!

Not content with merely drawing close, several ships actively attempted to force Tae-hyun's vessel to a halt. They threw grappling hooks, scaling the hull... They were completely blinded by greed!

"Those crazy bastards are boarding our ship?!"

"K-Kim Tae-hyun! What do we do?! Give us the order!"

Tae-hyun spoke coldly and decisively.

"Attack them."

"...S-Seriously?"

Even though they had braced themselves for a fight, the sheer coldness of his command caught them off guard.

"I don't care if they claim they're here to rescue us. If they try to force our ship to stop and climb aboard, they're the enemy. Attack!"

"How dare these mere adventurers attack Lord Idergo's vessel!"

Persemes was the first to strike.

"Plague Breath!"

"Urgh!"

"Argh!"

The players climbing the hull were thrown into instant disarray by the sudden assault.

"K-Kim Tae-hyun! We told you, we're here to rescue you! Why are you doing this?!"

"Ah! I think there's been a misunderstanding! We're different from those other guys targeting you! We won't hurt you!"

"..."

The Black Rock Sect members stared down at the players with sheer pity. Who in their right mind would believe someone whose eyes were burning with greed, drooling as they yelled, "Hehehe, we won't hurt you!"?

"G-Get off our ship right now, or we'll attack!"

"Are you guys the ones who captured Kim Tae-hyun?! Hand him over and get lost right now! Otherwise—"

Boom! Crash!

The threatening player was blasted off the ship by an explosive.

Without a single change in his expression, Tae-hyun said, "I told you to attack them, not listen to their demands. Keep firing!"

"..."

This guy is truly bloodless and tearless!